Latch device



A. W. SWANSON. LATCH DEVICE-- APPLICATION men MAY 17,1920.

1,370,928. Patented Mar. 8, 1921;

UNITED STATES ll TENT OFFICE.

AXEL TV. SWANSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE HOLMQUIST-SWANSCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

LATCH DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 8, 192

Application filed May 17, 1920. Serial No. 381,900.

1' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AxnL WV. SwANsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Latch Devices, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This. invention relates particularly to a latch device adapted for usein connection with extensible gates, such as disclosed in U. S. PatentNo. 1,323,657 granted Dec. 2, 1919.

The primary object is to provide a latch for the free end of a gatewhich shall be of durable and compact construction and in which thelatch-member is well housed.

The invention is illustrated in accompanying drawings in which Figure 1represents an elevational view of an extensible gate equipped with theimproved latch; Fig. 2, a broken elevational View, partly in section,illustrating the latch device; Fig. 3, a broken vertical sectional viewtaken as indicated at line 3 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 4, a plan sectionalview taken as indicated at line 4 of Fig. 2. 4

In the construction illustrated, A, A, represent the posts for a gate,such as a porch gate; B, an extensible gate carried by a bar B which isconnected by hinges B with the bar B which is firmly secured to the postA, the extensible gate being provided at its free end with a verticalbar B and C, the improved latch device applied to the upper end of thebar B The extensible gate B is shown as comprising 2 series of parallelbars which are pivotally connected with each other, thus aflording alazy-tong movement. At one end, the gate is connected by short links 1with the B. At the other end, the gate is connected, by short links 2,with the bar B The post A is equipped with a staple or eye 3 disposed ina horizontal plane.

The device C comprises a sheet-metal housing-member 4 which is securedto the upper end of the bar B; a sheet-metal latchmember 5 mounted inthe member 4; and a spring 6 confined between the rear end of the member5 and the upper end of the bar B The housing-member 4 is verticallydisposed and of general U-form, having a web portion 4 embracing thefront edge of the bar B and having wings or flanges 4 which embrace thesides of the bar B*. The housing-member 4 is secured to the bar B bymeans of a rivet 7 which extends transversely through the bar and hasits ends pro ecting through perforations in the wings 4 near their lowerends and riveted thereon. The housing-member 4 projects above the upperend of the bar B and has its web portion 4 provided with a slot 4adapted to receive the eyelet 3. The flanges 4 are cut away or recessedat their rear edges, as indicated at 4, leaving the upper portion of thehousing-member provided with ears 4 which are bent toward each other soas to overlie (edgewise) the upper end of the bar B The ears 4 areconnected by a transverse rivet 8 which serves as a pivot for thelatchmember 5. The latch-member 5 is preferably formed of sheet-metalbent or stamped to provide an elongated substantially U- shaped memberhaving an upper web portion 5 and depending side flanges 5 From the rearend of the web 5 depends a flange 5, thus providing a rear wall for thepawl or latch-member which partially houses the spring 6. Thelatch-member 5 tapers in I plan view, as shown in Fig. 4, the web 5-becoming narrower and the flanges 5 converging toward the front end ofthe latchmember. The flanges 5 are recessed at their lower edges neartheir front ends as indicated at 5; and the front edges of the flangesare rounded as indicated at 5*. Thus, the latch-member is provided witha rounded front end or nose and so shaped as to provide the flanges 5with the hooks i)? which serve to engage the staple or eye- The spring 6is a small coil spring confined between the upper end of the bar B andthe rear portion of the web 5 of the latch-member, the spring beingdisposed back of the pivot 8 of the pawl and in front of the rear flange5 of the pawl.

It will be understood that the gate B may be released and then swungabout the hinges B In closing the gate, one naturally extends it afterit has been swung to the closed position causing the bar B to approachthe post A in the movement of extension of the gate. In this movement,the latch-member 5 is automatically elevated by the staple or eyelet 3and it will become automatically latched to the eyelet. member, it isnecessary only to depress its To release the latch rear end by pressindownwardly thereon with the thumb or nger, after which the gate may beopened.

It will be understood that the housingmember provides a binding for theupper end of the bar 13 and affords a housing for the horizontallydisposed latch-member; and the latch-member is itself so formed as toprovide a substantial horizontal wall filling the space between the ears4? of the housing.

The device is compact, may be manufactured cheaply, is easily applied,and presents no projections which might catch and tear the clothing.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of,understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a latch device, the combination with a bar, of a housing memberhaving a web portion embracing one edge of the bar and flanges embracingthe sides of the bar, said housing-member extending beyond the end ofthe bar and having its web portion provided with a slot, and alatch-member disposed at the end of the bar and vpivotally connectedwith the flanges of the housing member.

2. In a latch device, the combination of a bar, a housing-member havinga web portion disposed at one edge of the bar and having flangesembracingthe sides of the bar, said flanges being recessed and havingtheir upper portions bent toward each other and overlying the upper endof the bar, the web portion of said housing-member being provided with aslot, a latch-member pivotally mounted in the flanges disposed above thebar, and a spring confined between the rear end of said latch-member andthe upper end of the bar and disposed between the rear end of thelatch-member and the pivot.

3. In a latch device, the combination of a bar, a housing-member havinga web at one edge of the bar and having flanges embracing the bar, saidflanges having portions disposed above the end of the bar, a pawlpivotally mounted in said flanges above the end of the bar and having anose portion adapted to bear on the end of the bar, and a springconfined between the end of the bar and the rear end of saidlatch-member, said housing-member having a recessed portion adapted topermit the entry of an eyelet.

4. In a latch device, the combination of a bar, a U-shaped housingmember"having flanges embracing the sides of the bar, said housing havingpivot-ears disposed above the end of the bar and" the web portion ofsaid housing having a slot disposed above the end of the bar, a U-shapedlatch-member disposed between said pivot-ears and above the end of thebana pivotconnecting said latch-member with said pivot-ears, and aspring confined between the end of the bar and the upper wall of saidlatch-member.

5. In a latch device, the combination of a bar, a. U-shapedhousing-member having flanges embracing the sides of the bar, saidhousing having pivot-ears disposed above the end of the bar and the webportion of said housing having a slot disposed above the end of the bar,a U-shaped latch-member disposed between said pivot-ears and above theend of the bar, a pivot connecting said latch-member with saidpivot-ears, and a spring confined between the end of the bar and theupper wall of said latch-member, said latch-member having its rearportion provided with a flange which'houses the upper portion of saidspring.

6. In a latch device, a U-shaped housing having a web portion providedwith a slot,

said housing being provided with means for. V

attachment to the bar of a gate, a pawl pivotally mounted in saidhousing and having a rounded nose portion presented to said slot andequipped with a hook adapted to engage a staple, and a spring serving toactuate said pawl.

7 In a latch device, the combination of U'shaped housing-member havingva web portion provided with a slot, a latch-member of U-SllLPGCl crosssection mounted between the flanges of the upper end of saidhousing-member, said latch-member having a hooked end portion presentedto said slot, and a spring for said latch-member.

8. In a latch device, the combination of a housing-member having aslotted web portion and having flanges which are recessed, the upperportions of said flanges being bent toward each other to aflordpivot-ears, a pawl pivotally mounted between said pivot-ears and havinga hooked portion presented to said slot, and a spring adapted to beconfined between'the rear end portion of said pawl and the end of a barto which said housing is adapted to. be applied.

AXELW. SWANSON.

